Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett wrapped up a recent Tourism Recovery Tour of Montego Bay with news that despite the impact of Hurricane Melissa last month, the destination area is on target to officially reopen for business on December 15, 2025. The announcement comes as Minister Bartlett also revealed that since the start of 2025 the sector has recorded tourism earnings of US$2.9 billion.

Round Hill Hotel & Villas has announced its 2025 holiday programming, highlighting new culinary experiences and elegant seasonal traditions that celebrate the spirit of the Caribbean. The storied Montego Bay resort invites guests to gather for an occasion defined by connection, craftsmanship and the timeless charm that has made Round Hill a cherished holiday retreat for generations. “The holidays at Round Hill are about belonging,” said Josef Forstmayr, managing director. “Each year, familiar faces return, new friendships are formed, and laughter drifts across the lawns; it’s a reminder that what endures most here isn’t the setting, but the feeling of coming home.”

Following Hurricane Melissa, one of the most powerful storms in Jamaica’s history, NexusTours, the leading Destination Management Company (DMC) in the Caribbean, Central and North America, and a core brand of GoNexus Group, a leading experiences and mobility travel group, has taken swift action to support its guests, partners, and local teams across the island.

Thankfully, Montego Bay’s iconic Round Hill Hotel & Villas sustained only minimal impact to its facilities as a result of Hurricane Melissa. However, given the considerable challenges affecting the surrounding community, including local roads and infrastructure, the resort has temporarily closed and will reopen its doors on December 8, 2025. Until then, the resort has turned its attention to caring for its team members, their families and essential workers who helped the resort fare so well during the storm. The resort’s Board of Directors and Executive Team have responded with an extraordinary commitment to staff as well as the local Hanover Parish community, demonstrating a level of hospitality that goes far beyond service and reflecting true care, compassion, and leadership during a time of crisis.

Minister of Tourism, Honourable Edmund Bartlett, has set bold new targets for the Canadian market, aiming to welcome 600,000 Canadian visitors annually and generate US$750 million in tourism earnings by 2030. This ambitious goal comes as the destination experiences a significant 22% increase in Canadian airlift capacity for the upcoming winter season.

Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has revealed that the Tourism Action Club (TAC) initiative in high schools and tertiary institutions locally is being leveraged as an important platform to foster human capital development in the tourism industry, especially in the areas of management and customer service. Minister Bartlett has underscored that TAC students have access to programmes offered through the Jamaica Centre for Tourism Innovation (JCTI), and once successful, they are certified by the American Hotel and Lodging Educational Institute (AHLEI) with an internationally recognised Associate Degree in Customer Service as well as the HEART/NSTA Sixth Form Pathway II Programme (SFP2P).